It’s been three months since our soft launch. Since then, we’ve attended two moving industry conferences – FMWA (Florida Movers and Warehousemen’s Association) and AMSA (American Moving and Storage Association), talked to more than 100 moving companies, started collecting consumer reviews and released several consumer features to help further our mission to be THE resource for consumers to find a great mover.

Before launching MCR, our team’s knowledge of the industry was based primarily on our own experiences – good and bad. We don’t claim to be total experts (yet) but we wanted to share a few things we’ve learned in our first few months.

1. Moving requires some homework

Switching cell phone carriers. Finding a babysitter. Buying a new car. Choosing a vacation spot. Big decisions require research. Would you buy a new car or pick a hotel without reading reviews? Would you change your phone carrier without researching coverage area and costs? Would you hire a sitter for your kids without checking their references?

Same goes for moving. Before you trust someone to handle your stuff, spend a little time researching your options – read reviews, check credentials and talk to the company. Because cheaper isn’t necessarily better when it comes to your prized possessions. See Point #2.

2. Cheaper isn’t always better

Moving can be a big cost. Especially when traveling out-of-state. According to the American Moving & Storage Association, the average cost of an interstate household move is $5,630 (based on an average weight of 7,100 pounds and an average distance of 1,220 miles).

It’s easy to want to save a little money on your move. After all, it’s way more fun to put that money toward furniture for your new place. But think of your move as an investment – in your stuff and your sanity.

We’ve read reviews of regret and reviews of praise. Before you pick the cheapest option, consider how you’ll feel sipping that iced tea after your move is completed within budget. Peace of mind may be more affordable than you think.

3. DIY is cool…unless you’re moving

We’re all for doing stuff ourselves. Members of our team have been known to sew their own curtains, install their own wallpaper, and build their own furniture, but we know when to leave the work to the experts.

Move with a great mover and you’ll never think twice again about doing it yourself. These guys are professionals. They know how to lift and pack better than most of us ever could. One member of our team watched his mover put a dresser – filled with stuff – on his back and carry it down 3 flights of stairs (twice!). Instead of “paying” your loyal friends with pizza and beer for helping you move, save those treats for your housewarming party and spend the moolah on a mover. Your back, your friends, and your partner or roommate will thank you for it.

4. People want to talk about their moves

Ask anyone who’s had a bad move and you’ll get an earful. But talk to someone who’s had a great move and they will sing their mover’s praises, share that name with their friends and pat themselves on the back for having made such a good decision. We’re excited to get more reviews from people like you – so please, come back, and tell us how it went. And don’t be shy. We want all the gory…and good…details.

5. It’s a new frontier

We saw a problem. A void. An opportunity. Moving is hard and no one was making it easier. We know the online space and knew we could make it better for moving [read our start up story]. As anyone at a start-up will tell you, it can be frustrating, time-consuming and stressful, but it can also be loads of fun figuring stuff out as you go, and pitching in as a small team. We’re three months in and aren’t tired. We have a long list of stuff we want to do and we’re pretty psyched to do it. We hope to share lots of great news with you in the coming months.